University Hearing Board

What is the University Hearing Board (UHB)?

The University Hearing Board is the Student Conduct Body comprised of a minimum of thirteen (13) members from the University community (four students, four faculty, four administrators and one advisor) authorized to review a disciplinary matter and make a recommendation regarding whether a student has violated the Standards of Conduct or a University policy and to recommend sanctions upon those students.

How do I appeal my conduct decision?

Students can appeal the decision and/or sanctions from their conduct hearing to the Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students. Appeals are not granted automatically. Requests for appeal must be thoughtful, well-reasoned, substantive, and demonstrative of at least one of the following criteria:

• That there was a substantive procedural error that may have prohibited the hearing from being conducted fairly in light of the charges. Deviations from designated procedures will not be a basis for sustaining an appeal unless significant prejudice results.
• New evidence that was not reasonably available at the time of the hearing has become available, and is potentially sufficient to alter a decision.
  • Note: When a party fails to provide a statement under advice of counsel during initial conduct proceedings, and subsequent to the hearing decides to provide a statement, it will not be considered “new evidence” for the purposes of appeal.

In these instances, 3-5 members of the University Hearing Board (trained faculty, staff, and students who are not Residence Life and Student Conduct staff members) will be convened to re-hear the case at a formal hearing (see: Article V. Operating Procedures for the University Hearing Board). In some instances, the Administrative Hearing may be skipped altogether and the case will be moved directly to the University Hearing Board.

In order to formally request an appeal, students must submit a written request to the office of the Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students within 5 business days of the decision letter issued from their Administrative Hearing. Upon submission, students will be asked to fill out a form indicating their current class schedules so that the Residence Life and Student Conduct staff can arrange the hearing accordingly. Typically, the University Hearing Board will gather to hear the case within 10 days of the appeal. Once an appeal has been granted, any sanctions that were issued from the Administrative Hearing are placed on hold. The University Hearing Board will have the opportunity to review the student’s case and make a recommendation as to whether a student has violated the Standards of Conduct or a University policy and to recommend sanctions upon those students. Members of the University Hearing Board will submit their recommendations within 2 days of the hearing. The Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students shall review the recommendations from the University Hearing Board and render a final decision. The Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students may decide to overturn the initial decision from the Administrative Hearing and find the student “Not Responsible,” to uphold the initial decision and maintain the same sanctions (with either the same or different due dates), or to uphold the initial decision and change or increase the initial sanctions that were issued. The Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students will send a final decision letter to a student's Cal Lutheran email account, summarizing the findings of the appeal, within 5 days of receiving the recommendation from the University Hearing Board.

How do I become a member of the University Hearing Board (UHB)?

Faculty, staff, and students may contact Andrew Castro, Assistant Director of Residence Life and Student Conduct, with interest in joining the University Hearing Board via email at acastro@CalLutheran.edu. Once board members are selected, they will undergo training to cover the following topics:

• Philosophy of the conduct process at Califonia Lutheran University
• UHB's purpose, qualifications, and responsibilities
• UHB's operating and sanctioning procedures
• UHB's code of ethics, importance of confidentiality, and how to hold a fair and unbiased hearing
• Student's rights and responsbilities at Califonia Lutheran University and in student conduct proceedings